Nishant & Erinhttps://nishantanderin.wordpress.com
Mon, 19 Mar 2018 14:48:57 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://s2.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.pngNishant & Erinhttps://nishantanderin.wordpress.com
Beautiful Collisionhttps://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/2017/07/06/beautiful-collision/
https://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/2017/07/06/beautiful-collision/#commentsThu, 06 Jul 2017 12:52:26 +0000http://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/?p=705Hello from Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (PNG)! We have now moved to our new home in the capital city and have been living here for almost two months. In this update we want to share what is happening in our work and family life, as well as our plan moving forward on how we will stay connected to you all through email prayer updates and reflections we will post on our blog.

ANNOUNCEMENTWe want to share some exciting news – our family is growing! In October 2017, we will be expecting our second son. Eli and I will return to Toronto at the end of August in preparation for the delivery of the baby and Nishant will join us closer to the due date. I anticipate staying in Toronto until December 2017 before we are able to get the new baby’s passport and visas sorted to return to PNG.

Nishant transitioned from a consultant to an employee with World Vision International in March 2017. This was after he took February off to be with me in Australia for my ankle surgery, and then he briefly traveled back to Canada with me where I could recover. He returned in March and is now based in the PNG head office in Port Moresby, where he is working as the Resilience and Livelihood Manager for PNG and providing technical support to other countries in the Pacific region. Before Eli and I returned to PNG in May, Nishant spent 7 weeks ‘on the road’ traveling through many of the projects in his portfolio (in Madang, Sepik and Bougainville provinces), to meet with partners (in East New Britain province), and to the Solomon Islands to support the World Vision team there. Since we have arrived back in PNG, Nishant has been desk bound as he has had numerous reports, evaluations and workshops.

In Port Moresby, I spend most of my time at home with Eli as I continue to gain strength in my foot and manage things around the home while being pregnant. I go to physiotherapy twice a week and work on gait training (to help with walking) and to increase the range of motion in my foot. I am now able to walk without any aids or crutches. My pain is much less now, but I often have some swelling in my ankle by the end of the day due to the injury and the humid climate here in PNG. I am so thankful for how much I have been able to accomplish in a short amount of time and look forward to the day when I am not in any pain.

Eli and I fill our days by playing at home, reading books, swimming and going to a local nature park once a week. He has learned to love tropical birds and crocodiles. He is talking so much now and often asking “What is this?” followed by “Why?” He is learning right from wrong and how to have good manners. He continues to love ice hockey which he plays on the tile floor, and he even has some lines from the song “The Good Old Hockey Game” memorized. He is attending the Sunday School at the church we go to and is very interested in the Bible stories we read at night before bed. We are so thankful he has remained healthy through all the changes and his friendly and outgoing personality continues to shine!

Now that we are based in the capital city, I desire to get connected with the local health care system and engage with other nurses here in Port Moresby. I find this the most helpful to learn more about the culture and people we serve, but I also realize that I need to focus my time and energy at home right now. In the next year I hope to begin some volunteering as a way to get more connected and serve the community.

This year has been filled with many highs and lows, valleys and mountain top experiences, and through this we have been able to beautifully see God’s hand at work as he guided us through these chaotic collisions out of the ordinary. After several months of uncertainty, we are beginning to feel settled into our new house and have begun to make it a home. We are beginning to make new friends through World Vision and our new church and bible study. We recently celebrated Nishant’s 30th birthday and Eli’s 2nd birthdays, and each time we were able to invite many new friends to enjoy a meal, field sports and time by the pool in our complex. It was a great time to continue to deepen friendships and make memories with an eclectic group of people!

With our new posting here in Port Moresby being steadier than our time in Bougainville, we anticipate having more time to set aside to connect well with you our friends and family who have been such great supporters for us. We plan to send a monthly prayer update and some photos of what we have been up to at home and work by email. Every three months we plan to write a reflection on different topics that we are contemplating, and we will post this on our blog.

Although we do have more international travel coming up and major changes with the addition of a new baby, we know that God is with us and we will face each new day with confidence of His love and protection. Thank you all for your continual engagement with us as we serve abroad, and for praying for us through some of the challenges that we have faced over the past year. We look forward to seeing many of you while we are back in Toronto this Fall.

PLEASE BE PRAYING:1. During this busy season at work for Nishant with many projects ending in the month of June with completion reports due and the anticipation of new projects beginning in July.2. For health and safety while living in Port Moresby for Erin who is 6 months pregnant and still managing after effects of her foot injury.3. For peace and stability for PNG during this election season as historically this has been a turbulent time, and that God would raise leaders who would lead with humility and serve as Christ would.

Blessings,
Erin, Nishant and Eli

PHOTOS:With all of our transitions it has been a little while since we shared photos. Here are a few albums from the past few months.

]]>https://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/2017/07/06/beautiful-collision/feed/2img_0363nishantanderinCrossing Smooth Bridges to Rough Roadshttps://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/2016/11/15/crossing-smooth-bridges-to-rough-roads/
https://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/2016/11/15/crossing-smooth-bridges-to-rough-roads/#respondTue, 15 Nov 2016 13:04:41 +0000http://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/?p=670It has been about five months since we left Bangladesh, and during this time we have experienced many changes. We returned to Canada in July and then I (Nishant) left after a couple weeks to start work with World Vision in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Erin and Eli were able to spend some more time in visiting friends and family before joining me in PNG in September.

We now live in the town of Arawa on the island of Bougainville (part of the Solomon Island Archipelago). This is post-conflict setting that is still rebuilding after a long civil war that started almost 30 years ago. I am here on a six month consultancy to manage several economic development projects, including launching the new phase of an initiative that is funded by the Government of PNG, the World Bank, IFAD and the EU (for more background, check out Productive Partnerships in Agricultural Projects). In this initiative, World Vision is working with over 7,000 cocoa farmers to help them improve resilience through improving cocoa production and quality, crop diversification, access to markets, and trainings in a variety of cross-cutting issues from financial literacy to HIV/AIDS awareness.

Despite the many changes, we have experienced the familiarity of warmth; just like in Bangladesh, the weather is hot and the people are hospitable. Unfortunately we have also experienced the familiarity of rough roads. When we first moved to Bangladesh, the highway between Dhaka and Mymensingh was under construction and we experienced it as its worst. By the time we left, the construction was complete and the roads were smooth. Here in Bougainville, most of the roads are in bad shape, and in particular the main highway between Buka in the north and Buin in the south (with Arawa in the middle). I have journeyed on this highway several times, and I now know why the most popular vehicle here is a Toyota Land Cruiser – as this is one of the few vehicles that are capable of driving across the rocky roads, muddy mountainsides, rivers or broken bridges.

On one stretch of the highway, there are several new bridges that were built by the Japanese government. Although many of the bridges need to be replaced, these few bridges provide temporary relief from the bumpy ride as one moves towards their destination. In some ways our move to PNG was a quick crossing of a smooth bridge, on a rough road that we are still journeying on.

When we began to look for opportunities after our contract in Bangladesh, the position in PNG sounded like a good fit. However, we soon discovered that the post here was actually unaccompanied. Despite this complication, I was fortunate enough that they then offered it to me as a short-term (six month) consultancy. This was a challenging decision for us to make, so we sought the counsel of family, close friends, our pastor and experienced development professionals we trusted.

Beyond the challenges of the large portfolio of projects and the short-term nature of the contract, moving to Bougainville also presented many other challenges for our family as we would move into a post-conflict setting that is quite remote with poor infrastructure (especially medical). Yet as we sought out wise counsel and prayed this through, we felt confident to step out in faith and to take a calculated risk.

We are now past the halfway mark of my contract here, and the work has been challenging but rewarding. We have successfully launched several new projects and doubled our staff in the Bougainville office to over 50 people!

Our family’s transition has gone relatively well, but it has also been stressful. Unfortunately both Erin and Eli are on short-term visas that require them to leave the country periodically. Adjusting to a new place also takes time, so Erin has taken time off to ensure Eli transitions well. So far, Eli has done great. He is actually the first foreign baby here since the civil war started almost 30 years ago, so he has become quite famous! Erin hasn’t been able to look for work with all these changes, but she recently started to support a Nursing School that reopened this year after the civil war.

Despite the challenges, life is good. We have made new friends and seen new places. We have worked on new challenges and invested in a new community. There are still many unknowns for us but we trust that God is a lamp unto our feet, lighting our path in the darkness (Psalm 119:105) one step at a time.

The path that God has called us on isn’t easy and it has not afforded us the luxury of stability, but we still pursue it. We grieve the loss of friendships and being far away from family. As I reflect on the difficulties, I am reminded of the iconic Moon Speech by US President John F. Kennedy when he set an ambitious challenge to go to the moon.

We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.(John F. Kennedy, Moon Speech, 1962).

God has not called our family to literally go to the moon, but being obedient to follow where He leads us is our “moon” and these daily challenges we “are willing to accept” precisely “because they are hard”. When we got married six years ago the bible verse we chose for our marriage was “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10) and pursuing this “goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills”.

So we know that God has led us here for such a time as this and we are trusting in Him to guide us onward. Our faith continues to grow despite the long term uncertainty. Each new day presents new challenges, whether at work managing a project or as we plan the logistics for our family. Each new day also brings with it small joys – like finding eggs after a week-long shortage, or eating ice cream to cool off in the heat, or going to the beach with new friends. We are so thankful that we get to see Eli grow up to be a compassionate and energetic little boy with a broadening worldview as we try to model a life of faith. These are just some of the smooth bridges that move us forward as we continue to journey down a rough road.

PLEASE BE PRAYING:1. Over the next couple months we will be doing quite a bit of traveling within PNG and outside. Erin and Eli are currently in Australia to renew their visas. Pray for safety and for our family as we are apart.2. On November 16th Eli will have a minor medical surgery (in Australia). Pray for a smooth and quick recovery.3. There are many projects in Nishant’s portfolio that experience many challenges. The Bougainville team has also grown very quickly with the launch of several new projects. Pray for energy and enthusiasm for the staff as we get into the details of implementing the projects.4. We have begun to explore the next steps for our family, so pray for wisdom and clarity.

Blessings,
Nishant, Erin and Eli

PHOTOS:With all of our transitions it has been a little while since we shared photos. Here are a few albums from the past couple months.

]]>https://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/2016/11/15/crossing-smooth-bridges-to-rough-roads/feed/0img_0363nishantanderinquotes-43quotes-44picture-banner-30picture-banner-31picture-banner-32picture-banner-33picture-banner-34Between Sorrow & Joyhttps://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/2016/05/22/between-sorrow-joy/
https://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/2016/05/22/between-sorrow-joy/#respondSun, 22 May 2016 03:47:15 +0000http://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/?p=648There is a time for everything,and a season for every activity under the heavens:a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8).

Life is often experienced through a series of events which are mostly ordinary but sandwiched between major occasions like births, weddings, and funerals. Over the past couple months we experienced all three of these major occasions as we walked beside our colleagues and friends. These experiences have come with a roller coaster of emotions that ranged from the joy of the birth of an eagerly anticipated baby, the wonderful celebration of two lives being brought together in marriage, to the agony from an unexpected death.

We feel honoured to have the opportunity to live and work with many great people in our adopted home Bangladesh. For the past two and a half years we have been living in Mymensingh and the events of the past couple months have deepened our roots in the community.

I have been privileged to support one of the women employed by a social business MCC supports through providing her basic prenatal care during her pregnancy. She would give me a short update on how she was feeling almost every day as I would walk past her workplace, so I was so eager to see her baby. Despite already having a child, she was nervous about giving birth as it had been over 10 years since she was last in labour. Then one morning I heard that she had gone to the hospital to have an early cesarean section as she had been assessed by a doctor who was concerned that the baby was too big.

In Bangladesh, cesarean sections are frequently done even when there are other medical options available for complicated pregnancies and deliveries. Cesarean sections are also overly recommended in order to limit physicians’ time with patients. For these reasons, many women fear going to the hospital to give birth. This is an aspect of the health care system that I have limited experience with, but I know there are many NGOs working to address this problem through increasing awareness and developing the capacity of skilled birth attendants for homes, clinics and hospitals.

Later that morning, we got a call saying that a healthy baby girl was born! Although she was born three weeks early via a cesarean section, both mother and child were doing well and were recovering. A few of us from MCC later went to visit and congratulate them; what a great memory!

Unfortunately, we also experienced the shock of an unexpected loss. A close colleague and friend suddenly lost her younger brother after he died unexpectedly. He was only in his 30s and had a six month old baby. As soon as we heard the news, we all went to their family home to join them in their mourning. Hundreds of people were expected later that afternoon for a time of prayer and remembrance, and so the house was filled with a mix of somber heaviness from being in shock and busyness as they scrambled to make the necessary preparations.

In times like this, our words felt meaningless so we listened to them, we sat with them, we hugged them, we prayed for them, and we simply made ourselves available to them.

Now that some time has passed and everyone has returned to their daily routines, the impact of the loss continues to reverberate in their family. Life goes on, but now a child will grow up never knowing their father.

After a birth and a death, we had the opportunity to celebrate the wedding of another colleague. This was a Christian wedding that was celebrated over three days in the traditions of the minority indigenous Santhal people. We were able to attend two days of the celebration: Day 2 – the church service in the village and Day 3 – the reception in the city.

The morning of the wedding ceremony in the village, we left the MCC office and guesthouse in Bogra (one of our regional offices about four hours northwest of Mymensingh) to make the three hour journey to the village. The weather was hot and sunny by the time we arrived in the village, with the temperature well into the 40°C range (105-120°F range). Needless to say we were sweating throughout the service, but we were so thankful that we made the journey to witness this beautiful event.

When we got to the village we saw the beautiful bride, adorned with gold jewelry, a gorgeous red sari and stunning makeup. As she walked from her village home to the church, a procession of family, friends and other villagers followed her. The service was performed by a Catholic priest and was filled with joyous singing in the humble tin roof church. The songs were sung in the native Santali language, and the other aspects of the service were in Bengali. After they shared their vows, we all left the church and enjoyed a traditional celebratory dance performed by some of the men from the village, and then we all ate lunch together.

The following day was the reception in the city. We were invited to the family home in the morning so I had the chance to watch as the bride was getting ready for the festivities. Hours were spent on hair styling, makeup, and dressing to make sure she looked just right. Once the bride was ready, another procession occurred as we all walked behind the bride and groom from the family home to the reception. As we walked through the narrow streets we were also accompanied by a drum band. It was truly an exciting weekend and we learned a lot about the local culture and traditions as we celebrated together with them.

As we continually reflect on our lives in Bangladesh, we have been blessed to experience many new things. Although we miss our family and friends in Canada and the US, as we spend time developing relationships here, we are creating a new community that is rich and sustaining. We celebrate and mourn; we laugh and cry; we choose to do life together with those we have been blessed to meet, in both the ordinary and extraordinary.

PLEASE BE PRAYING THAT:
1. We all continue to stay healthy, especially as the weather is getting very hot and humid.2. Eli continues to adjust to a very flexible schedule and that he is able to sleep well at night.3. MCC Bangladesh continues to transitions into a new season well as colleagues end their terms, and others step into new roles.4. Bangladesh would quickly recover from Cyclone Roanu which struck the southern coast on May 21st, killing at least 24 people.

This past month we had the opportunity to go to Thailand for some medical appointments and holiday. We were also blessed to have Erin’s sister Kristina join us from Canada!Check out the full album at: Thailand 2016

Full stop. Period. Different people reference this article of punctuation by different names, but it still serves the same purpose: to indicate the end of a sentence. A full stop is used to bring closure to sentences, but this doesn’t mean that a narrative is concluded.

But why do we only use full stops at the end of sentences? Sometimes we need to spend time addressing things before we can even begin to read because our context frames our understanding of the narrative. By intentionally stopping for introspection and extrospection, we could then be better prepared to move forward.

I have always been bad at knowing the formal rules of grammar as it has mostly come intuitively to me. But through the process of learning a new language, I have been forced to slowly examine communication as I interact with people who have a different mother tongue. After many experiences of miscommunication, I now try to pay close attention to the details that frame a conversation in order to move our understanding forward and to not simply exchange words.

Therefore if a full stop communicates closure, what if we began our first sentence with a full stop? Would this remind us to examine things we often overlook, things that are evident but not written, and things that we see but don’t notice, before we move forward?

This may seem like a trivial thought experiment, but through the experiences in our context, this simple article of punctuation has caused me to examine the importance of pausing and reflecting.

In the Bible (mostly in the book of Psalms), the word Selah is used numerous times. Although the exact meaning of the word is unknown, it is generally accepted that it is used as an invitation for the reader to pause and to reflect on what was just said, and to prepare for what is about to be said.

We live in a world surrounded by ‘noise’ and so the act of pausing can help us process what is going on in order to move forward meaningfully. Pausing can help shed light on things that need to become a priority.

This past month we had the opportunity to visit the Sundarbans, which is the world’s largest mangrove forest and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We spent five days on a river boat together with around 40 MCC expat colleagues working across Asia. We had a great time exploring the beautiful ecosystem and getting to know our colleagues and their families better. With a packed schedule and the close quarters on the boat, I enjoyed the peace at night when most people were sleeping or playing board games in the cafeteria.

Under the cover of darkness, I would sit at the boat’s bow (front) in silence. I would sit there and take it all in: the mechanical purr of the engine, the cool breeze as the boat cut across the water, the darkness from the absence of human settlements, and the small lights of boats passing by. Eventually my mind would reflect on things that were weighing on me: Eli finally resting after being sick earlier in the day, Erin’s recent health issues, the security concerns with foreigners and minority groups being killed in Bangladesh, conflicts around the world from Syria to South Sudan…

With so much happening outside of my realm of control, my physical context perfectly reflected how I felt – moving forward in the dark. Just then a bright navigation spotlight shown from the bridge (the boat’s commanding platform) and wandered the water, highlighting approaching obstacles. Once these distant objects were identified, the spotlight turned off and the captain made a slight course correction. This continued every 15 to 20 minutes.

Despite all our technology, I was struck at how dependent we were on light to give us sight. Yet as we moved forward, we were mostly in the dark.

In the Christian calendar, we just concluded the Season of Lent. Lent is a 40 day period before Easter where Christians solemnly remember the suffering of Jesus before his crucifixion and resurrection. The specific number of days that this season spans pays homage to the 40 days that Jesus spent fasting in the dessert before he began his public ministry.

In the Gospels it records that after Jesus left the desert, he began to preach that the kingdom of God was near, saying,

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19, Isaiah 61: 1, 2).

This was done to fulfill what the profit Isaiah had said:

the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. (Matthew 4:16, Isaiah 9:2).

Jesus came into the world during a time of darkness and a time of waiting. This was further emphasized through his 40 day fast in the dessert. And yet through this season of waiting, God was preparing the world for a Great Light that would help us navigate the darkness.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12).

We don’t have to pause and reflect for too long in order to recognize that we are living in a time of great darkness, a time when the world is seeing the highest number of displaced people from conflict and persecution, where global epidemics like Ebola and the Zika virus disproportionately impact the poor, where inequality is increasing, where hatred expressed physically and verbally terrorizes people. And then there are the personal struggles that many of us face with loneliness, strained relationships, poor health or financial insecurity.

Now there aren’t quick or easy solutions to any of these, but that shouldn’t paralyze us because we have hope. At the conclusion of the Lenten Season, we celebrate Easter which is when Jesus defeated death and rose to life; 40 days after Easter we remember the Ascension, when Jesus was taken up into heaven; 10 days after the Ascension we remember Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit (also referred to as our Helper, Comforter, and Advocate) descended on Jesus’ disciples.

Development practitioners often over use the analogy “Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he eats for a lifetime.” As our understanding of poverty has become more complex, this analogy has now been expanded to include power dynamics by asking who owns the lake that the man is fishing on. But there is still troubling evidence which reveals that despite the needs we may see around us, helping others doesn’t come easily.

In social psychology there is a phenomenon observed called the Bystander Effect, which primarily refers to the diffusion of individual responsibility in a crowd. Unfortunately, the consequence of this is that we often abdicate our responsibility to help those in need, and there is a direct correlation with our likeliness to help decreasing as the size of the crowd we are in increases.

So yes, we do need to be intentional with pausing so that we can reflect on the context that surrounds us as this can help us move forward purposefully. However, in order to move forward in our narrative, we need the guidance of our Helper to illuminate our path so that we can overcome our powerlessness in the face of darkness, and apathy in the face of our fallenness.

There is a simple song, a Taizé meditative prayer, that has resonated with me and that I sing to Eli at bedtime. May these lyrics remind us of the hope we have in the darkness, and encourage us to joyfully move forward.

The kingdom of God is justice and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Come, Lord, and open in us the gates of your kingdom.(Taizé, The Kingdom of God).

PLEASE BE PRAYING THAT:1. Erin continues to stay healthy.2. Eli continues to adjust to a very flexible schedule and that he is able to sleep well at night.3. Bangladesh (and places impacted by physical and verbal hatred) experience peace and the vulnerable are helped.4. MCC Bangladesh transitions into a new season well as colleagues end their terms, and others step into new roles.

VIDEOS:Here is a short video of the Sundarbans from the deck of our boat. If you listen carefully, you can hear our colleagues singing “Dona Nobis Pacem” which is Latin for “Grant us peace” in the background.

Taizé, The Kingdom of God:

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]]>https://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/2016/03/26/a-great-light/feed/23191_Bangladesh_SacredMarknishantanderinQuotes 40Quotes 41Picture Banner 25Picture Banner 26Contrasting Homeshttps://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/2016/02/08/contrasting-homes/
https://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/2016/02/08/contrasting-homes/#commentsMon, 08 Feb 2016 15:45:43 +0000http://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/?p=582It has been several months since we have sent out a blog and personal update, and much has happened. We had a wonderful visit from Nishant’s parents, an MCC All Staff Workshop, Christmas celebrations, and a trip back to Canada. Therefore I have not been able to sit down to reflect and write until now.

We recently returned home to Canada for my younger sister’s wedding. It was a wonderful day filled with love, and we were blessed with moments spent together with our extended family. During this trip back, I was diagnosed with a thyroid condition and have been on medical leave since. With increased fatigue and getting used to taking a daily medication, I have had a slow but steady recovery. We were very thankful to have been home during this time to get the support of medical professionals and our family. We have now returned to Bangladesh and Nishant is back at work while I remain on medical leave for a few more weeks. During this time I have regrettably not been able to reply to emails or messages as I normally do, so thank you for the notes and I will respond slowly as I continue in my recovery.

Home; our home is in Canada, and it is a place very familiar to us. We enjoyed our recent trip back as we got to spend time with our family and friends. Home is a place we dearly miss when we are far, yet our idea of home has changed over the years. Home has come to be defined by a variety of things. Our idea of home is where we are invested and where we are rooted, where we live and share our lives with those around us.

For the last two years while Nishant and I have been living and working in Bangladesh, you may have heard us reference a few different cities amongst our travels. Dhaka is the capital city of Bangladesh and where our head office is located, where we did our language studies, and now where we often come for meetings. Mymensingh is a ‘small’ town of half a million people, where we now call home (or ‘basha’ in Bengali), and where we have grown to love our local community.

There are many differences to these two places, and I wanted to share some of these contrasts of where we live and work that have been amplified for me recently.

|AT WORK|When in Dhaka, we are often attending meetings, and for me this is most often with my colleague on the HIV team as we have been developing a new project focusing on adolescent health. After working together on this over the last several months, and with the help of people like Nishant, our Country Reps, as well as Nishant’s mother who took care of Eli, this project was approved for the next three years. In Dhaka is where I also participated in the Palliative Care Conference back in September 2015, and also where I taught Nursing at a university in the fall of 2014.

When in Mymensingh, my work focusses on supporting the social businesses that we partner with, primarily through supporting the women they employ with a variety of their health concerns. During my visits I check blood pressure, monitor weight gain and loss, as well as give basic health advice (like explaining their medications). I love this aspect of my work as I get to walk alongside and encourage the women as they struggle with chronic health issues and as they care for their families.

I also spend time working on developing training material for some of our programs, like Pobitra (meaning ‘holy’ in Bengali) which is a yearlong rehabilitation and training program for women that have decided to leave casual sex work for alternative employment and a better life. I have also developed our First Aid Training program which is an annual training for all MCC staff and some partners. Recently I have switched to working part time so that I can care for Eli, and my colleagues have been gracious to come to our apartment in Mymensingh for meetings when needed.

|FAMILY LIFE|
Our home and family life is different depending on where we stay. In Mymensingh, we have settled into our apartment and feel at home. We live only ten minutes from the office, so we can easily walk, bike, or take Eli in the stroller back and forth. We have gotten to know our neighbours well and this Christmas we walked around handing out ‘Canadian’ Christmas ginger bread and sugar cookies that we had baked to celebrate the season. There are several different shopkeepers that we have gotten to know in our neighbourhood and so we always greet them as we pass by; Eli has also become very popular here! On Friday mornings in Mymensingh, we enjoy a breakfast tradition of pancakes that Nishant makes.

After Eli turned six months, I started going back to the office in Mymensingh for a few hours so that I could focus on some of the work that I have. While I am out, an MCC staff member takes care of Eli, and we look forward to seeing how Eli grows to love and cherish their relationship. He already knows her voice well when she comes each morning and eagerly greets her.

While in Dhaka, we stay at MCC’s guesthouse. The guesthouse is an older building, so we often have to ‘deal’ with cockroaches, but these are the memories that we are creating while living in a tropical country. We enjoy coming back to Dhaka as we get to connect with friends we haven’t seen in a while, and we enjoy the perks of being in the ‘big’ city where we can go out to nice restaurants.

In both cities, we enjoy spending time as a family, especially in the evenings as we can spend more time together. Eli enjoys playing with his new Christmas toy, a small ball, and he loves jumping around in his Jolly Jumper. Bath time, regardless of where we spend the night, is a highlight for him as he winds down the day and prepares for bed.

|FELLOWSHIP|
Depending on our location, the style of worship service we experience greatly varies. In Dhaka, we attend an English speaking international church that has music and a preaching style that we are familiar with. We have become thankful for this community whenever we are able to attend as we get to fellowship together with friends we don’t often see. With the recent security concerns and the implications of being able to safely gather, we have been reminded about the sacred gift it is to freely worship.

In Mymensingh, we have become part of the Taizé community and attend their prayer services and community lunch on the weekends. Taizé is an ecumenical monastic order that originated in France but now has communities around the world, including here in Bangladesh where they are deeply involved in various ministries in the community.

At Taizé there are three prayers services each day, but we mostly attend the lunch time prayer on the weekend. This is a communal prayer time with silent meditation, Bengali singing, as well as acapella repetitive choruses that are often in English. We are also part of a small bible study with a few other foreigners in Mymensingh. As this is the only English speaking worship community that we have access to in Mymensingh, we often compliment this with listening to sermons online from our churches back home.

|RECREATION|
Our experiences of rest and relaxation also vary between cities. In Dhaka we have the opportunity to attend different events, like the Dhaka Literature Festival this past November. Here we got to hear speakers from around the world discuss topics ranging from the role of science in literature, and Gandhi’s influences before returning to India. Nishant was also able to attend the Bengal Music Festival showcasing the best Indian classical musicians. In Dhaka we get to spend time going out to restaurants and coffee shops with friends, and when invited, we get to go to some of the international clubs to enjoy amenities like swimming pools. For foreigners these clubs provide a comfortable environment, away from the congestion and pollution, and where children can play openly. With the weather being hot and humid most of the year, we have really enjoyed the opportunity to unwind and cool down. Eli has also learned the joy of spending time in the pool!

In Mymensingh we enjoy a quieter pace of life. When the weather is very hot, we tend not to spend as much time outside, but we normally like to spend our weekends walking by the river on our way home from the prayer service or sipping a cup of tea at the river side. Our office compound in Mymensingh also offers green space with a beautiful garden and pond. In the winters, Nishant plays badminton after work with some colleagues. With each badminton season, his skills are increasing!

So, next time you hear us talk about our homes in either Mymensingh or Dhaka, you now have a better idea of our places of work, family life, fellowship, and what we do for recreation.

PLEASE BE PRAYING THAT:1. Erin would continue to recover well.2. The work we partner in continues to be successful. Last month the government of Bangladesh awarded MCC a first place award for building farmers’ capacity. This was for a project Nishant has been working on to teach farmers improved agricultural practices, and then help them sell their pesticide free vegetables upmarket.3. Bangladesh continues to enjoy a season of peace and stability.

]]>https://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/2016/02/08/contrasting-homes/feed/13191_Bangladesh_SacredMarknishantanderinQuotes 39Picture Banner 22Picture Banner 23Picture Banner 24Tragedy of the Commonshttps://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/2015/11/13/tragedy-of-the-commons/
https://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/2015/11/13/tragedy-of-the-commons/#commentsFri, 13 Nov 2015 15:17:06 +0000http://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/?p=543We have spent a lot of time on the road, traveling from one place to another. Most of this travel is spent going between Dhaka and Mymensingh, and although this is only 120km / 75 miles, it has taken us up to 8 hours! The highway along this stretch has been under construction for the past several years, and after a disastrous few years, the army finally took over the project and the highway expansion is almost complete. Now the delays between Dhaka and Mymensingh aren’t due to the poor condition of the road, but from the traffic as one tries to leave or enter Dhaka.

Unfortunately, one of the first things that people notice when visiting Bangladesh is the pollution. Like many modern cities, Dhaka has a large industrial sector and this is clearly visible when traveling out of the city. Most prominent of these industries is the ready-made-garment (RMG) industry, which was established here in the late 1970s. Although many people have heard about the poor safety conditions in many of these factories, the RMG industry has helped to provide millions of jobs for the poor (mostly women) and is a major pillar to Bangladesh’s economy.

Lining the highway are large factories, and in the mornings it is very common to see thousands of people flooding the streets as they make their way to start their shift. Around these factories it is also easy to see the negative side effects of the garment industries, with piles of waste material and blacked waterways from chemical byproducts dumped in. To some, the smell can be overwhelming. After having made this journey many time, I have become somewhat calloused by the normality of these practices, but there are times where I catch myself cringing.

One of these cringe moments was when I came across a recent photo essay in the Guardian called The river runs black – pollution from Bangladesh’s tanneries, which visually highlights the extent of the pollution behind the sights of the main road. Yet as bad as things are here, Bangladesh isn’t even in the top 20 list of world polluters in which the US is ranked second, and Canada ninth – along with other countries like (1) China, (4) India, (5) Russia, (6) Japan, (7) Germany, (8) South Korea, (13) the United Kingdom, (16) Australia, … (EDGAR: Trends in global CO2 emissions: 2014 report).

Mymensingh is a much smaller town then Dhaka, but it has a reputation for being dirty. When it rains, the open sewers that shoulder our street overflow onto the road. People also dump their garbage on the road for it to be picked up and taken to the outskirts of the town where it is burned by the roadside. Last year we took a long bike ride out of Mymensingh and we passed by the garbage dump as we made our way to a village. In the midst of burning piles of garbage were people sorting through it looking for items that can be sold, and children playing. Almost immediately after passing the dump, we were surrounded by fertile farmlands and tall trees.

Ironically, the ‘undeveloped’ rural areas are clean and unpolluted. This contrast for me has emphasized the importance of looking at the full impact of well-intentioned interventions because there is a risk that the good accomplished can come at a very high price. Determining what price we are willing to pay is challenging, but what makes things even more complicated is determining the true cost of our actions.

During the industrial revolution, many cities in the ‘West’ were habitually covered by thick black smog from the coal burning factories that were the driving force behind industrialization. Many of these factories also employed children as they were cheap and effective workers, and some industries also built their competitive advantage from the free labour of slaves. There was a heavy price paid for the comfort and wealth that many of us enjoy today.

Most buildings in Bangladesh are constructed out of bricks and cement, but the office that we work at in Mymensingh primarily uses wood. Over time, the thinner internal walls have now become susceptible to ui poka (a local termite). These bugs have also spread to the bookshelves, and have now destroyed many books. Unfortunately, Erin became the latest victim of the ui poka this past month when she came to tidy up her office after being away this summer. I have been told that the ui poka are actually blind; therefore, in looking out for their own self-interest, the ‘blind’ actions of the ui poka cause so much destruction to others.

In economics there is a famous analogy that illustrates the consequences of blindly acting in our own self-interest. The Tragedy of the Commons was used to illustrate the effects of un-regulated cattle grazing on common land. In the pursuit of maximizing personal gain, individual farmers have the incentive to keep increasing the number of cattle grazing on common land, thus depleting the land’s ability to support cattle for everyone in the long run.

The concept of the commons is now used to describe other resources like the atmosphere and oceans. Since the industrial revolution, humans have greatly altered the world to better suit our needs, and this has greatly impacted the Earth’s ecosystem. In fact, some scientists are now using the term Anthropocene – which comes from the Greek anthropo meaning ‘human’ and cene meaning ‘new’ – to describe the current geological era. As a result of our interventions, natural resources have been depleted and carbon emissions into the atmosphere have greatly increased.

Unlike meteoric impacts that have greatly altered the world’s climate in the past, human activity is now responsible for rising global temperatures, and this will be the focus of the upcoming United Nations World Climate Summit in Paris from November 30th to December 11th where world leaders will discuss measure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Earlier this year, Pope Francis also released an encyclical on climate change and the environment, in which he calls us to act now so that we leave a better world for future generations. Amongst things like encouraging us to shift to greener energy, Pope Francis also challenges the values behind our actions, as seen in our society’s need for excessive and unsustainable consumerism.

Having a background in industrial design, I know full well the impact our designs have on society. If we design a product that cannot disassemble easily, how can we expect consumers to recycle it properly at the end of the product’s use? Working in development now, I also know that our work can be shortsighted. If we teach farmers unsustainable agricultural practices so they can increase their income now, how can we expect them to sustain their gains?

The products and systems we design greatly influence the behavior of individuals, but inversely the behavior of individuals can also impact the designs of products and systems. This requires us to act now. Musician and poet Micah Bournes phrases it well when he says:

I am not the future, I am not history. I exist in perpetual nowness. Rebuking the ghosts of old sins and future fears.
(Micah Bournes, I Am Not The Future).

Canada just had a historic Federal election, and Erin and I were able to participate by voting from Bangladesh. But filling out a ballot is not the only way to vote. We vote through our actions. In an era where our behavior is monitored by things like social media or our purchases, the cumulative actions of individuals map trends that reveal where our society is headed and how leaders in corporations and the government should act. So our actions, today, matter.

Our actions today can show that we will not ignore the hard lessons from the past by simply tolerating their implications on our future. Our actions today can show we demand new systems that are responsible and accountable. Our actions today can help people improve their present without compromising their future. Our actions today can prevent the global temperature from rising above 2°C from the pre-industrial era. Our actions today can show we care more about people then projects. Our actions today can shape the values of our society. Our actions today can show that we are able to share the commons for the good of everyone. Our actions today can show we are good stewards of this world God has shared with us.

PLEASE BE PRAYING THAT:
1. Bangladesh would experience peace and unity. The security situation here has now become very complicated with targeted attacks on the police, army, religious minorities, other sects of Islam, and secular intellectuals.2. We would experience safety as we travel back and forth, and our upcoming meetings and conferences would be fruitful.3. We would have a great time when Nishant’s mother comes to visit us.

VIDEOS:Ui Poka are a local white ant-like termite that like to eat soft woods and paper. Here you can see them busy moving around on an interior wall at our office.

Here is the full poem that I quoted from in the blog; the words are quite thought provoking.

He was pushing 60, at least. So impressed with my poetry he looked me in the face and raved, “You, are the future.” I appreciate the sentiment but that is not a compliment because I may be young but I, am not the future. I am not the future, Sir, any more than you are the past. You are, wrinkly with a receding hairline yes but the muscle, in your chest beats and burns just like mine and we are both alive, in the present. I’ve spent far too many yesterdays stressing on what I might become tomorrow, while you’ve wasted timeless afternoons reminiscing on who you once were but neither of those people are us.

We are not anything but what we are now. My faith of last week does not please God today. My future riches does not cancel this poverty. My former strength does not heal present weakness. My soon-coming failure does not diminish current victory.

I am not the future, I am not history. I exist in perpetual nowness. Rebuking the ghosts of old sins and future fears.

I am nothing but here, and now. And if I don’t like that me, then I must change here, and now. And if I can’t change that me then I must pray here, and now, that God allow this present step to land a new man. By the grace of God I am what I am.

I am young, you are old we are both but a breath any second my inhale will be as your ex. So let’s celebrate this moment in eternity when God saw us fit to be brothers in the now.

And I know you meant well, dear sweet balding wrinkly faced Sir, but I hope you understand how much you’re worth, for you are not the past, and I am not the future.

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]]>https://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/2015/11/13/tragedy-of-the-commons/feed/1Blog Cover Page 4nishantanderinQuotes 36In Text Image 1Quotes 37Quotes 38Picture Banner 21Rejoice!https://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/2015/10/02/rejoice/
https://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/2015/10/02/rejoice/#commentsFri, 02 Oct 2015 16:37:17 +0000http://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/?p=502| BACK TO BANGLADESH |We have been back in Bangladesh now for about seven weeks. Eli just turned three months old and we couldn’t be happier with our beautiful, healthy and happy son. Many of our days are filled with new sounds and giggles from him when he is awake. He enjoys playing with new toys that were lent to us and reading books with Nishant in the evenings. His bath time is a real treat after a hot day here and he splashes for as long as we let him.

At the beginning of September we said goodbye to my mother after her two and a half week visit. She was really helpful as we transitioned back, and we got to spend precious moments with her and Eli. We now try to regularly video chat with our family and send them photos so that they can see Eli grow with each new day.

We miss our family a lot, and this summer was a very special time for us all to reconnect and enjoy important moments together. We are very thankful and blessed for the ongoing support that we receive from both of our families as we continue in our work in Bangladesh.

This past month has been a busy time for our family, especially as I get used to new routines of caring for Eli as well as beginning to work again. I am now working part time and am able to do most of my work from home so I can continue to breastfeed.

| MOVING PALLIATIVE CARE FORWARD |In September I was able to participate as a faculty member at a palliative care conference in Dhaka. This conference is run through the Asian Hospice Palliative Care Network (APHN) with funding from the Lien Collaborative for Palliative Care. Approximately 35 physicians and nurses from the Dhaka area attended a five day course in which many topics were raised related to palliative and end-of-life care in Bangladesh.

I had the opportunity to teach a session and facilitate daily rounds in the local hospital, and afterwards we had small and large group discussions on the recommended plan of care for our particular patient. It was a good learning time for all the participants and as we completed each day, the level of interaction with the faculty increased.

Teaching in a cross-cultural context as a foreigner can be challenging, especially with different English accents and learning styles. However, from my experience last year teaching in a Bachelor of Nursing program at a local university, I was able to connect with and engage the participants. English is the most common language used for medical textbooks and research papers, but primary care in Bangladesh is given in Bengali. Sometimes this can lead to confusion and reduced comprehension, but we all worked hard together to overcome these challenges and ensure positive learning for everyone.

Palliative care has made great improvements in Bangladesh in the last year with now the possibility for physicians and nurses to study and become specialized in this field. However, more work is needed to ensure that this type of care that is now available to those living in Dhaka is also made available in regional centers across the country as well as rural village areas. Also, the use of effective and affordable pain medications like Morphine remains misunderstood and under prescribed for patients dying and suffering with pain.

The Lien Collaborative continues to work in these areas and network to advocate for this medication to become more attainable and recognized as the treatment of choice for those dying of cancer pain. The main government run teaching hospital in Dhaka now has a unit in which palliative and pain management can occur with qualified staff. The hope is that as this hospital makes this a priority, the other regional centers will slowly begin to do the same.

Palliative care is something I am passionate about as early on in my nursing career I was deeply impacted through my home care work. It is a vulnerable time for patients and families, and I saw that through good nursing care I was able to support them. This type of health intervention isn’t where MCC focusses, but I am grateful that I have been given the flexibility to continue to network and be involved in some small aspects of palliative care in Bangladesh.

The conference I participated in is part of a three year program with a conference being held every six months. However, due to political unrest in Bangladesh, the schedule has been delayed in the past but we are planning to meet again in March 2016. Being one of the few faculty members based in Bangladesh, I hope to maintain good relationships with the local nurses through ongoing online assignments and mentor them as questions and dilemmas come up in their work.

| NEW PROJECT |In my work within MCC, together with Nishant and a local colleague we have been preparing a concept note for a new health project that we will submit for approval next month. In March we had spent time in India researching various HIV/AIDS interventions and now we have been working hard to design a project that appropriately addresses the needs in the communities where we work. While we were back in Canada this summer, our local colleague facilitated various focus group discussions in order to evaluate MCC’s current HIV Peer Educator program, and also the identify and understand the related health needs for our new project.

| PRAISING GOD |In September we hosted a bible study in our home, and it was a good gathering of friends for a time of food and fellowship. I led the study with a reflection on the Doxology, which is a common hymn that is sung at the end of worship gatherings. It is familiar tune and verse to many of us.

As we sang the Doxology and reflected on scripture that reminded us of God’s provision in our lives and the need to praise Him, I was drawn to praise Him specifically for the last three months. Eli has been a huge source of praise in this transition into parenthood. There was a week in the last month in which Nishant was suffering from a viral infection that made life in our home very difficult. He could not hold or care for Eli for several days. I was very exhausted and busy with things around the house as I cared for both of them, and I didn’t go outside of the house for almost five days!

But in those moments of frustration, feeling alone and sad, Eli would smile or giggle in a new way. I was reminded of simple joys, simple reasons to praise God. I am so thankful to be a mother, and I know that I will be forever changed. God is changing my attitude, my faith and my life through this process. It hasn’t and it won’t always be easy, but I am committed to praising Him, “from Whom all blessings” really do flow!

Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, rejoice.(Philippians 4:4).

PLEASE BE PRAYING THAT:
1. Eli adjusts to the heat and humidity. He currently has a rash/eczema over most of his body that we are treating.2. We experience safety as recently a development worker was murdered. This was a message we received from Canadian government:

“There is a threat of terrorism in Bangladesh. At the end of September 2015, the Australian and United Kingdom Governments informed their citizens that there is reliable information to suggest that militants may be planning to target Western interests in Bangladesh. Attacks cannot be ruled out and could be indiscriminate. Terrorist attacks could occur at any time and could target areas frequented by expatriates and foreign travelers. Limit your attendance at events where Westerners may gather, for example in hotels or conference centres. Exercise caution and maintain a high level of personal security awareness at all times and in all places, and monitor local media for the latest information on threats to security.

On September 21, 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) released a statement threatening retaliation for the American-led coalition campaign against ISIL in Iraq and Syria. The statement encouraged opportunistic and indiscriminate attacks against citizens and interests of countries supporting the coalition, including Canadians. Individuals and terrorist groups in the region may be inspired to carry out attacks in a show of solidarity with ISIL. On September 28, 2015, an Italian national was shot and killed … [in] Dhaka. ISIL has claimed responsibility.”

The country is now on high alert as British and Australian intelligence agencies have warned of an attack on Australian targets in Bangladesh. Consequently, the Australian cricket team cancelled a planned visit to Bangladesh.

3. Our families experience peace in the midst of uncertainty.4. We continue to have a heart of worship and praise God in the midst of challenging times.

]]>https://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/2015/10/02/rejoice/feed/6Blog Cover Page 4nishantanderinQuotes 35Picture Banner 19Picture Banner 20Something from Somethinghttps://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/2015/08/14/something-from-something/
https://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/2015/08/14/something-from-something/#commentsFri, 14 Aug 2015 03:08:06 +0000http://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/?p=490A new season begins. We have now finished our time back in Canada and are about to make the journey back to Bangladesh with our new baby, Eli Emmanuel!

Over the past couple months we have been so blessed by all the support that we have received from family, old friends, and some new friends. We have been humbled by the generosity you have shown us and reminded once more that it is through your support that we are able to do our work in Bangladesh. So, thank you!

Once we get settled back in Bangladesh, we will continue with our regular blog updates that reflect on our experiences. However, in the meantime, we wanted to share with you a sermon that I preached at our home church in Canada, Rexdale Alliance Church. The title of the sermon was Something from Something and it primarily revolves around a story found in John 15 called The Vine and the Branches which talks about having life in Christ.

PLEASE BE PRAYING THAT:
1. We travel safely and smoothly as we head back to Bangladesh with our 6 week old son Eli.2. We transition back to life in Bangladesh well. We are also so thankful that Erin’s mother is coming back with us for a couple weeks.3. We are able to transition out of Canada well as we say goodbye to family and friends.

Blessings,
Nishant (and Erin)

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]]>https://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/2015/08/14/something-from-something/feed/23191_Bangladesh_SacredMarknishantanderinDSC_5412Peaceful Anticipationhttps://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/2015/06/27/peaceful-anticipation/
https://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/2015/06/27/peaceful-anticipation/#commentsSat, 27 Jun 2015 17:33:57 +0000http://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/?p=477We wanted to send a quick update just to let you know how we are doing as we wait in anticipation for the birth of our first baby.

Nishant arrived back in Toronto three weeks ago and since then we have been able to prepare for the baby through informative prenatal classes, doctor’s appointments and baby celebrations. We have been overwhelmed by the support and love that we have received. Despite living so far away, you all have shown your love and care for us through emails, prayers and notes. But, coming home during this time in our life has just reminded us again of how blessed we truly are. So thank you for your gifts, thoughts, and prayers that you have showered on us over the last several months.

I have been feeling well with no cause for concern regarding the baby or myself. Waiting has been hard as I have been back in Canada for almost two months now, but God has given me the strength especially over the last few days to maintain a positive attitude as my due date has now passed. Infrequent contractions have now started, and this is a good sign that my body is getting ready for labour. So far, we have only good reports of a healthy, active baby which is all that we could have asked for.

As I was baking some muffins this morning, a song called Running in Circles by United Pursuit Band came on and I wanted to share the lyrics with you all.

I’m so forgetful, but You always remind me You’re the only one who brings me peace You’re the only one who brings me peace So I come, Lord I come I come, Lord I come To tell you I love you To tell you I need you

To tell you there’s no better place for me than in your arms To tell you I’m sorry For running in circles For placing my focus on the waves, not on your face

You’re the only one who brings me peace You’re the only one who brings me peace

In the storm In the storm
(United Pursuit Band, Running Circles).

I don’t know where each one of you is at today, this week, this month, or this year, but I want to encourage you. God is the only one that can bring you peace, regardless of your storm, your time of waiting, or your struggle. If He is speaking to you, tell Him that you love Him, tell Him that you need Him.

Thank you for continuing to join us on this journey and the next message you receive from us will be the announcement of our little one! We can’t wait.

Blessings,
Erin (and Nishant)

PHOTOS:Here are a few photos that Nishant took while in Bangladesh in May before returning to Canada.
Check out the full album at: May 2015

VIDEOS:
United Pursuit Band, Running Circles:

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]]>https://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/2015/06/27/peaceful-anticipation/feed/43191_Bangladesh_SacredMarknishantanderinPicture Banner 18The Six Seasonshttps://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/2015/05/07/the-six-seasons/
https://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/2015/05/07/the-six-seasons/#commentsThu, 07 May 2015 10:38:35 +0000http://nishantanderin.wordpress.com/?p=435We have tried to be diligent with writing a blog post every month, and although this post is now a month late, it is also right on time.

The ancients Greeks understood that time was complex and so they had two words for it. The first was chronos, which referred to the quantitative dimension of time, like the days and hours. The second was kairos, which referred to the qualitative dimension of time, like an opportune moment or anointed time.

Over a month ago when I began to write, I was half way through when our priorities got turned upside down. In the middle of March we had travelled to India to research how different NGOs integrate various health and HIV/AIDs components in their projects. This required us to travel around Kolkata. After, we then went to Jaipur for an MCC regional retreat for Service Workers in Asia. It was here that Erin began to feel sick, and this quickly escalated and she had to be hospitalized for two days. At this time, my only priority was the health of my wife and unborn child.

Erin has now made a full recovery, and we want to sincerely thank all of you that supported and prayed for us through this. As Erin was in the third trimester of a high-risk pregnancy, we were quite worried about her health and that of the baby. Although we now know that she had a very severe (but treatable) bacterial infection, as these events were playing out there were many uncertainties and much that was beyond our sphere of control. Yet God provided for us with great medical care, people that sacrificed their time to manage all the logistics, medical professionals that answered calls at odd hours around the world, and countless people that prayed.

The night that Erin was admitted to the hospital, after she fell asleep it started to rain. I briefly stepped out on the balcony of the hospital and slowly breathed in the cool air. At that moment I was reminded that the same God that waters the earth was sovereign in this situation.

Before coming to Bangladesh, I was quite indifferent to the rain. In fact, the rain was often a nuisance. Yet after having experiencing heat so oppressive that at times you seriously consider turning off the fan as it simply blows hot (sometimes 48⁰C / 118⁰F) air on you, you deeply appreciate the refreshing coolness of the rains.

Although the rains periodically occur throughout the year, there is an annual season for the rains. In fact, there are six seasons in this part of the world: (1) Boshonto (spring), (2) Grissho (summer), (3) Borsha (rainy), (4) Shorot (autumn), (5) Hemonto (late autumn), and (6) Sheet (winter). Although they are short, each season has distinct characteristics that contribute to the lush vegetation. Yet despite the fact that the majority of the rain falls during Borsha, there are the welcome kairos moments when the rains come unexpectedly.

Erin and I have now been in Bangladesh for over a year, and looking back we have experienced a lot of change both personally and professionally. To be completely honest, it has been a hard year, but we don’t regret any of it and we still feel privileged to be a part of what is happening here. Yet there are those moments when one reexamines their priorities.

When I was younger, I naively thought that in time life would be simpler; but as I grew up I quickly realized the opposite was true. One of my favourite bands, Vampire Weekend, has a song called Run which fanaticizes about running away from the responsibilities of life.

Every dollar countsAnd every morning hurtsWe mostly work to liveUntil we live to work

She said,“You knowThere’s nowhere else to go”But changing rolesIt struck me that the two of us could run

Worlds away from carsAnd all the stars and barsWhere a little bit of condensation means so muchAnd a little bit of change is all your little fingers touch
(Vampire Weekend, Run).

But running away doesn’t accomplish anything, and over the years I have learned to face the challenges, and to face them joyfully. This lesson was echoed while in India, and I was reminded that Jesus calls us to an abundant life, which isn’t one free of struggles, but one through which the suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope; and this hope is in the Holy Spirit that God has given to us (Romans 5:3-5).

When we returned to Dhaka from India, we had to rush back to Mymensingh late that night because the following day there was yet another hartel (general strike). Despite it being physically taxing, I enjoy traveling throughout Bangladesh as it provides me an opportunity to reflect. However, this trip was going to be especially tiring as we had barely slept the night before, I had meetings in Dhaka as soon as we returned, and I was feeling sick from what I suspected was eating something cross-contaminated with gluten.

Nevertheless, as we drove back I stayed awake and looked back on our year in Bangladesh and the year to come. One thing that I have been wrestling with is how easy it can be to become pessimistic; this is a struggle that many people in our line of work are susceptible to. As the night wore on, the roads became busier as many people were trying to travel before the hartel. In a country where traffic laws are merely suggestions, this meant that the roads got a bit more chaotic than usual.

And then it began to rain.

Although this isn’t the season for rain, the downpour was strong and it caused the traffic to briefly come to a stop. We were now stuck on the wrong side of the road as a tuck with a shattered windshield headed for us. My stomach was still aching, I was really tired, and the road was a mess, but in this moment the rains reminded me that God reigns in all aspects of our life and we were exactly where He wanted us to be.

In the bible there is a story of a man named Job who went through unimaginable suffering, and as a result his perspective of the world was challenged. Although I haven’t experienced anything close to this magnitude, Job’s experience is illuminating. In his dialogue with God, Job is reminded that although there is much in this world we do not understand, God is still sovereign. God even rhetorically asks Job, “Does the rain have a father? Who fathers the dew drops?” (Job 38:28). After Job listens to God, Job’s understanding of God is magnified and he concludes by saying “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.” (Job 42:5).

As the traffic began to move again, a song I hadn’t heard in a while began to play on my iPod, Trading My Sorrows, and the timing couldn’t have been better.

I’m trading my sorrows I’m trading my shame I’m laying them down for the joy of the Lord

I’m trading my sickness I’m trading my pain I’m laying them down for the joy of the Lord

I am pressed but not crushed persecuted not abandoned Struck down but not destroyed I am blessed beyond the curse for his promise will endure And his joy’s gonna be my strength

Though the sorrow may last for the night His joy comes with the morning.
(Darrell Evans, Trading My Sorrows).

Erin and I are in a new season of life. We entered a new season by coming to Bangladesh, but now this too is changing as we prepare to become parents. With this comes new challenges, but we don’t have to shoulder these alone.

Through the passage of time, we see God reveal Himself at the right time. This doesn’t mean He is distant at different seasons, but rather we see that which is unseen.

So, although this blog post was late in the chronos perspective, from a kairos perspective we had to wait until we could experience and recognize God’s hand at work.

PLEASE BE PRAYING THAT:
1. Bangladesh could experience a season of peace. The hartels (general strikes) are now over, but the underlying issues still remain.2. Erin stays healthy and Baby Das continues to develop healthily. Erin is now in Canada, and I will return in June, just in time for the birth.3. I will be able to get all the logistics organized for getting our apartment ready for the baby, and for ensuring the projects I am working on have all that is necessary to progress in my absence from June to August.